Populating the Garden: The growth of Research, Science and Technology Parks. Lessons Learned for Future Projects in the Developing World

Research, Science and Technology Parks (RPs) have been a growing phenomenon for the last 60 years that now it is also being seen in regions with no previous experience in the field. Currently, there are more than 800 parks around the world, with the highest amount of parks concentrated in traditionally known technology producer regions like North America, Eastern Asia, Northern and Western Europe. Countries from these regions house about 90% of the world population of RPs.More than 60 of new RPs developments have been computed to be in 37 different countries across the world, 10 of these countries are first time players in adopting the Research Park strategy. A high proportion of these new parks (30%) are being constructed in countries with no previous experience in technological innovation or not depending on a knowledge‐based economy before, in regions like Latin and Central America and Northern Africa.The importance of Innovation and TT for a sustainable economy in the developed world is now more evident to developing countries. For them, the need to understand and implement knowledge‐based entrepreneurial activities is not an option but an urgent need. More governments are including RPs as part of the regional and national innovation systems to overcome under development and poverty. In 8 Latin American countries, 60 RPs are now operating; most of them new, started just after year 2000. Another 45 new RPs are in the completion stage, not yet fully operational.Evidence of higher employment rates based on RP’s initiatives can take years to present tangible results, most likely when parks reach "maturation stage". Therefore, it is yet unknown the impact these relatively new parks will have in the economic development of these countries.These countries; regardless of geographic location, culture, ideology, or political beliefs,and, in some cases, with a tradition of a high economic dependency on non‐renewable natural resources like oil or agricultural wealth; are investing substantial public funds to develop or improve their productive structures and have adopted the Research Park strategy to boost their economic growth. As these are long‐term projects and the results are only seen after decades, several questions arise pertaining to in what ways technological innovation initiatives should be followed.Research parks through incubation of emerging technology companies and generation of high quality jobs have also proven to be effective agents for economic growth in regional innovation systems(Batelle, 2013). Several studies have been conducted on technological innovation and RPs, and these present different points of view on this complex process as it has been occurring in the United States,United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain and other European and Asian countries (e.g., Athreye, 2002;Lofsten & Lindelof, 2002; Storey & Tether, 1998). Most of the data available is for OECD countries (OECD,Science, Technology and Patents, 2014). However, few studies address RPs and technological innovation for developing countries, with the exception of China and India. Except for a very few studies focusing on Brazil, Chile and Mexico, the body of knowledge for the rest of Latin America is still embryonic (Rodriguez‐Pose, 2012).Recent studies convey new dimensions for the analysis and study about RPs and, as the population of parks grows worldwide, the complexity of these analyses also increases. RPs were seen mostly in the developed world but they are now present in countries at all stages of economic development; as their performance is dissimilar thus stimulating an important academic debate whether the RP initiative is an effective catalyst of innovation.This study analyzes the growth of RPs around the world and points to the basic characteristics of a successful innovation ecosystem from the view point of RP's directors surveyed from 130 RPs from North America, Asia and Europe. Could these "best practices" be used as learned lessons for starters of new RPs projects in the developing world?The implications for a developing nation wanting to invest in and pursue this path have not been deeply explored, there are uncertainties about the necessary components and resources to have in place so these investments bring about positive results. Lessons from the North American,European and Asian countries with a considerable experience with research parks could be potentially applicable to new projects by starter countries in other parts of the world. However, region specific characteristics that make these differences significant and could influence the performance of research parks need to be taken into consideration before replicating or adapting what are known as best practices, to other countries.These considerations are important, as they could allow champions of new projects,policy makers and planners in starter nations to understand how technological innovation occurs in its wider context and take the right steps when designing and implementing new or existing projects.